Shoe-tree.



No. 896,536. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

H. A. HAYDEN. SHOE TREE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17,1907.

@DU-@infames i l UNITED sT ATEs PATENT oEAEioE.

HENRY A. HAYDEN, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

SHOE-TREE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,- HENRY A. HAYDEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, Hudson county, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Shoe-Trees, of which the following is a specication.

This inventionrelates to certain improvements in shoe trees such as are particularly designed and. adapted for use in boots and shoes for retaining the same in sha e, and the obj ect of the invention is to provide a device of this character of a simple and compara-` tively ineipensive construction which shall be adapte not merely for preserving the shape of the shoe or boot but shall be also possessed of a sanitary function, being adapted to absorband remove moisture and perspiration from the shoe or boot, whereby the production of offensive odors and deterioration of the leather fromsuch moisture and perspiration are effectively prevented.

T e invention consists, in part, in a shoe tree comprising a body portion having a` coverin of flexible and absorbent or porous fabric and a filling of compressible absorbent material packed therein -so that the. improved shoe tree is adapted, when in place within a boot or shoe to accommodate itself to the contour of the shoe as modified by the foot during use and is also adapted, by reason of the absorbent or porous nature of the covering fabric, to absorb moisture and perspiration from the boot or shoe.

The invention also contem lates certain novel features of the construction, and combinations and arraii ements of the several parts of the improve shoe tree, whereby certain important advantages are attaiiie and the device is rendered simpler, cheaper and otherwise better ada ted and more convenenthfor use all as will) be hereinafter fully set ort The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which serve to illustrate my invention-Figiir'e 1 is a perspective view showing a shoe tree embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken vertically and longitudinally through the device and showing the detailed construction thereof; Fig. 3 is a sectional view, similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating a modified construction of the improved shoe tree, and- Fig. 4 is another view, similar to Figs. 2 and Specication of Letters Patent. ,Application filed September 17, 1907. Serial No. 393,275

`to be arran Patented Aug. is, 190s.

Y 3, but illustrating a third modified-construction of the device.. y

The improved shoe tree constructed according to my invention comprises a covering of flexible and absorbent oi' porous textile fabric such as canvas or the like and is formed from upper and lower portions 1 and 2, 'oined by seams 3 along opposite sides of the ottom portion 2, said covering being formed to corres ond with the contour of the toe portion o a shoe or boot so as to be adapted ed therein in the usual Way. At its rear en( the body l ortion of the device has its covering closed y means of a rectangular piece-of fabric 4, stitched along its edges as seen at 5 to the rear ends of the upper 1 and lower portions 1 and 2 of said covering.

6 represents a loop of tape or the like, having its end portions carried through one of the seams 5 and secured as seen at 7 at the lower part of the device. The arrangement of this loo is unimportant and may be varied at wil without departure from the principles and spirit of the invention. Y

8 represents a filling, preferably formed from particles of sponge or other compressible and absorbent material, which filling -8 is tightly packed within the covering of fabric in such a way as to render the sa m e sufficiently compact to permit of retaininglthe shoe in form when the device is inserted t erein in the usual way.

9 represents a reinforce of card-board or other stiff material, preferably of an absorbent character, this reinforce being placed within the bod portion of the device at the bottom thereo so as to insure the retention of a flattened formation at the underside of the device to fit snugly against the sole of the shoe throughout substantially the entire width thereof.

10, 10, represent eyelets, set in the fabric from which the covering of the body fportion of the device is formed, said eyelets orming ventilating apertures so that the moisture and perspiration collected by the absorbent paekin is permitted to be issipated therethroug when the tree is removed from the shoe. These eyelets 10, 10, in any desired manner and number.

11 represents a block or piece of wood or other resisting material arranged within the body portion of the device at the rear end thereof with a flattened rearvsurf'ace substanthe entire inner 20 tially Hush upon the rear section 4 ofthe covering fabric, as shown at 12 in Fig. 2. The forward part of this block or piece 11 isl made ta ered as clearly shown onthefdrawing, to a a t it to conform generally to the contour of tfie improved tree.

In the use of the device constructed according to my invention, the tree is placed within' the toe portion of the shoe in the usual mannenafter which pressure is applied by means of the fingers u on the rear end of the device, such pressure lieing communicated to the wooden block or piece 11 which acts as a piston to 'force the compressible filling or packing 8 into intimate proximity to all parts of the shoe, whereby the flexible bodyportion `is caused to accommodate itself to and to contact intimately with the shoe throughout surface thereof so that the shape of the shoe, as modifiedby the foot of the wearer during use will be faithfully retained. The wooden block or piece 11 is made in a diameter smaller than that of the rear end of the shoe tree, so that the coinpressible filling 8 is packed around the lateral edges or sides of said block or piece to prevent the 'same fromI coming in too close relation tothe slice or boot when the device is in use. Were the said wooden block or piece made of a diameter equal to the larger end of the shoe tree, itis evident that the device could not be inserted in shoes or boots too small to admit said block or piece, but by providing alayer `of. Vthe compressible filling around the lateral sides of said block or piece, it is evident that the shoe tree may be forced within boots or shoes of sizes smaller than those for which the device is primarily intended. In this way the shoe is prevented from becoming mis-shapen, being of such a character tend to preserve the shape new, a caused larl that it does not of the shoe when reat deal of discomfort such as is y unyielding shoe trees, particuwhen permitted to remain for a considv era le time in the shoes, is thereby avoided.

he absorbent nature of the body portion of the device, both las regards its covering fabric and filling, insures that ithe moistureand perspiration which may be present Within the shoe after the same has been worn will be removed and absorbed b the improved shoe tree., so that offensive ocfbrs are lessened ,and the deterioration of the leather due to such moisture and perspiration is prevented. The absorbent or porous nature of the covering fabric permits such moisture and perspiration to freely pass-through said covering so as to penetrate and be absorbed by the packingor filling '8. The absorbent body portion also forms a vehicle by means of which a suitable disinfectant may be applied to the shoe for overcoming the offensive odors entirely and insuring a sanitary conditi'on.A For accomplishing this result, the absorbent but the shoe tree results.

suitab e disinfectant fluid, as a dilute solution of carbolic acid in glycerin, and when this shall have become ineffective, a further supply of the disinfectant solutidn may' be app ied, being drop ed through the ventilating apertures affor ed by the eyelets 10.

he improved shoe tree constructed according to my invention is of an extremely simple and comparatively inexpensive nature and is particularly well adaptedfor use. b reason of its compressibility which permits it to adapt itself to the'coformatio'n of the shoe and to be held therein without the employment of extraneous means, and also by reason of its absorbent nature which permits of absorbing and withdrawing offensive pers iration and moisture, and it o vious from the above description of my improvements, that the device is susceptible of some modification Without material de- Y parture from the principles and spirit of the invention, and or this reason 1 do not desire to be understood asv limiting myself to the precise formation andarrangement of the several parts of the device as herein set forth in carrying out my invention in practice. For example, in some cases, the construction shown in Fig. 3 may' be As seen in this view, the block or piece 11 is replaced by a wooden` disk 14, carried on a stem 15, which protrudes rearwardly from through a gromet 16 set m the rear section 4 of the covering fabric, theorear said stem 15,having a head `or enlargement 17 to be pressed b the hand for manipulating the disk 14 the covering and thereby compressing the or accommodate the body portion to the inner surface of the shoe. Said stem and itsenlargement 17 also afford a convenient handle for manipulating the loo 6 o an 2., The construction shown in Fi 4 is also. well ada ted for use, bein si ar to that seen in ig. 3, exce t that t e disk 12 is replaced by a wooden b ock orv piece 11 similar to that shown in 2.

Having thus described'm I claim and desire to secure is 1. A shoe tree having a body portion comprising a covering of flexible, porous, absorbent fabric, through which moisture from a shoe is ada ted to penetrate, and-a filling invention, what y Letters Patent employed with good the body portion and is slidable extremity of packing. 8 to i of compressi le absorbent material packed within the said covering and adapted to absorb and retain the moisture penetrating said covering from the shoe.

2. A shoe tree having a body portion'comprising a covering of terial, a lliii of compressible absorbent material packe Within said covering, and a block of resisting material nclosed within flexible absorbent mathe covering at the rear end of the body portion and embedded Within the compressible illing material and adapted, when pressed forwardly to exert pressure upon said compressible filling to cause the body 1portion to conform to the shape of a shoe w erein the device is arranged.

3. A shoe tree having a body portion comprising a covering of flexible absorbent material, a filling of compressible absorbent material packed Within said covering, and a' piece of resisting material inclosed Within the covering at the rear end of the body portion and embedded within the compressible filling and provided with a stem shdable through said .covering and projecting from the rear end of the body portion and forming a handle for man ulating said piece of resisting material Wit in the bod portion. l

In Witness Whereo I have hereunto signed my name this 12th day of Sept. 1907, in the presence of tWo subscribing witnesses.

. HENRY A. HAYDEN.

Witnesses: v

J. D. OAPLINGER, J. A. RENNIE. 

